Just a dream
by Dancingwiththesocks
Summary: Arthur is ill and Merlin accidentally finds something that brings comfort along with a secret.


Hearing heavy coughing coming from Arthur's chambers, Merlin rushed in to see what was wrong. When he had burst into the room Gwen was already in the room putting a wet cloth on Arthur's forehead.

"Oh Merlin thank god you're here" was Gwen's welcome for Merlin as he walked over to Arthur's bed to see the state he was in.

Arthur's forehead was covered in sweat that was trickling down his face, his heavy breathing could be heard from the other side of his room and his coughs shook his muscular body frame violently.

"I'll take over now" Merlin said to Gwen as she had already been with Arthur for at least three hours as he was told that Arthur had been coughing throughout the early hours of morning.

"Good luck Merlin" Gwen said as she walked past him and headed for the door.

Merlin spent the first ten minutes just looking at Arthur and how different he looked now that he had been invaded by illness, not liking the fact that he was less than his best. Arthur just looked vulnerable and weak which would be words that Arthur would use to describe the way he looked at that moment if he could see himself.

Even Merlin had to admit that Arthur looked a bit cute as well as feeble, his blue eyes were giving Merlin a puppy eyed look which Arthur was unaware of.

Soon enough Merlin was snapped out of his thoughts as Arthur began to have a coughing fit so heavily that for a second Merlin thought that the whole building was shaking along with Arthur's chest.

Pushing all of his thoughts aside, he tried to help Arthur to get into a sitting up position. After five minutes of trying unsuccessfully to get Arthur sat up he had finally been able to do it by giving him a few extra pillows to support him.

Now all Merlin could think about was how exhausted and fed up Arthur was, physically and maybe even emotionally.

Suddenly Merlin heard a wheezing sound coming from Arthur , that wheeze soon turned into another coughing fit along with a loud groan that came out from Arthur's mouth.

Merlin went to retrieve the cloth that had slipped off Arthur's forehead and dipped it in to the bucket of cold water and replaced it on Arthur's forehead. When that didn't calm him down he went to see Gaius hoping he would have some kind of potion to help Arthur feel better or at least less like a weak kitten.

Merlin returned with the potion the Gaius had provided him with; he got a spoon and slipped it in to Arthur's mouth hoping that the potion would get to work straight away.

However it did not go according to plan when the potion had appeared to have done nothing to help, Merlin felt himself instantly panic. He spent a few seconds pulling himself together and telling himself that it wouldn't help Arthur if he was freaking out right in front of him.

When Arthur began to cough violently again, Merlin stepped back and bumped into one of Arthur's many shelves, causing him to knock a small brown box off its place on the shelf and its contents tumbling on the wooden floor.

While hearing Arthur let out a painful groan, Merlin bent over to pick up the box and the contents. One item in particular stood out from the rest, Merlin picked it up cautiously just in case Arthur thought that he was looking through his private things. Merlin had certainly never seen or even heard Arthur talk about this box.

Merlin was about to put the box back when he noticed that one of the items he had previously picked up from the floor had a note attached to it. Merlin could tell that this note was old by the way it was scrunched up along with the handwriting which was smudged by a tear stain. It suddenly occurred to Merlin that this note was from someone important to Arthur.

Merlin wasn't one for being nosy but his curiosity took over him as he began to unfold and read the note which was attached to a grey brooch.

On the note it said

Dear Arthur  
For as long as you have this brooch  
Please know that your mother is with you as well  
She would be proud of the young man you will grow up to be  
Love your father

Merlin's heart sank at how emotionally that note to Arthur was written, Merlin could now figure out why there would have been one or maybe more tear stains on it. It was the most precious thing Arthur owned.

Merlin stared at the brooch until he finally realised that it wasn't a potion that Arthur needed, it was comfort.

The brooch was the key to the cure for Arthur.

Merlin went up to Arthur who was breathing heavily and sweating rapidly, he had also began to grumble in his sleep.

Merlin gently placed the brooch along with the note still attached to it near Arthur's arm. That very minute of the being there Arthur grabbed it and brought it close to his chest.

In a matter of seconds Arthur's breathing became calmer, his wheezing and grumbling had stopped.

Merlin stepped back and stood there for a few minutes, watching Arthur fall in to a peaceful sleep.

When Merlin was satisfied that Arthur would be alright on his own for a bit, he got a pile of Arthur's dirty washing and put it into the basket.

Merlin also went up to the bucket of water and re wet the cloth and put it on Arthur's forehead just to make sure that his fever didn't change dramatically while he was gone.

Before leaving Arthur's chambers Merlin hoped that when Arthur woke up, he would think that Merlin's presence was just a dream.


End file.
